Voting has begun across Turkey

For the March 31, 2024, General Local Administration Elections, voters in 32 provinces headed to the polls starting at 07:00, while voting began at 08:00 in the remaining provinces.

According to the decision of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), voting began at 07:00 in Adıyaman, Ağrı, Artvin, Bingöl, Bitlis, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Kars, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Muş, Ordu, Rize, Siirt, Sivas, Trabzon, Tunceli, Şanlıurfa, Van, Bayburt, Batman, Şırnak, Ardahan, Iğdır, and Kilis, as well as in penal institutions located in these provinces. Voting in these provinces will conclude at 16:00.

In provinces other than these, voting began at 08:00. Voters living in these provinces will be able to cast their ballots until 17:00.

Except for exceptions provided by law, each voter can only cast their vote at the ballot box where they are registered on the electoral roll. A voter cannot cast more than one vote for the same type of election.

Voters in Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, İstanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Şanlıurfa, Tekirdağ, Trabzon, and Van will vote for "metropolitan mayor," "district mayor," "municipal council membership," and "neighborhood headman (muhtar) and council of elders."

In provinces that are not metropolitan municipalities, votes will be cast for "provincial general assembly membership," "mayor," "municipal council membership," and "neighborhood headman and council of elders." In villages, votes will be cast for "provincial general assembly membership" and "headman and council of elders."

The ballot paper for the metropolitan mayoral election will be "white," the ballot for provincial general assembly memberships will be "orange," the ballot for mayoral elections will be "blue," and the ballot for municipal council membership will be "yellow." All ballot papers will be placed in a single envelope.

Mobile ballot boxes have been set up for this election as well for voters who are bedridden due to illness or disability. These voters will be able to cast their votes using mobile ballot boxes.

MAYORAL BALLOTS WILL BE COUNTED FIRST

In the election, the counting and tabulation of ballots will be conducted in the following order: in metropolitan areas, metropolitan mayoral, mayoral, municipal council membership, and headmanship elections; in other provinces, mayoral, municipal council membership, provincial general assembly membership, and headmanship elections.

Ballots cannot be counted before 16:00 in provinces where voting hours are 07:00-16:00, and before 17:00 in other provinces.

Even if all voters on the electoral roll have cast their votes, ballot boxes cannot be opened before the end of the voting time. Results cannot be announced until the publication ban is lifted by the YSK.

News Source: 12punto